Distributed budgeting and accounting system with secure token device access

• US 6,418,420 B1
• Filed: 06/30/1998
• Issued: 07/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Holm, Anders, Bender, Michael S., DiGiorgio, Rinaldo, Neiman, Diana
• Primary Examiner(s): Downs, Robert W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KANOF, PEDRO R
• Application Number:
  US09/109,120
• Time in Patent Office: 1,470 Days
• Field of Search: 705/40, 705/43, 705/44, 705/39, 705/35, 705/65, 705/67, 705/68, 705/54, 705/26, 705/80, 705/41, 705/21, 705/24, 235/379, 235/492, 235/375
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/403 Solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence

Abstract

A distributed budgeting and accounting system is designed to operate with secure token devices. The secure token devices serve both as electronic currency purses and as secure vehicles for authorization. The distributed budgeting and accounting system allows a budget to be defined for an organization. The budget is implemented via the secure token devices by transferring electronic currency tokens representing portions of the budgets to secure token devices associated with different portions of the organization. The funds may be transferred down a hierarchical organization by transferring funds between respective pairs of secure token devices. Once the budget has been fully distributed, members of the organization may spend electronic currency tokens on their secure token devices to cover the cost of using resources. Each card holder of the secure token device may only spend up to the amount provided on the associated secure token device. Secure token devices may be provided for service providers so that these funds that are spent to cover the use of resources may be accumulated to it. Accumulated funds may be returned to a central bank. The distributed budgeting and accounting system is used to define an internal economy for the organization.

Claims

1. In a computer network, a computerized method, comprising the steps of:

providing a budget for an organization that identifies quantities of funds to be distributed to components of the organization for a budgeting time period;

providing secure token devices for the components of the organization; and

electronically distributing the funds to the components of the organization according to the budget by performing transfers of the funds between the secure token devices.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the secure token devices are smart cards.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein electronically distributing the funds comprises transferring to electronic currency tokens between the secure token devices.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the organization is a corporation.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the components of the organization include business units.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the components include individual employees.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the computer network includes a distributed budgeting computer program and wherein the distributed budgeting computer program performs the electronic distributing of the funds.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the computer network includes a service provider for providing a service and wherein a portion of the funds transferred to a selected one of the secure token device is paid to the service provider for providing the service to a given one of the components of organization.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the service provider has a secure token device and the portion of the funds are paid to the service provider by transferring the portion of the funds from the selected secure token device to the secure token device of the service provider.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the selected secure token device and the secure token device of the service provider are smart cards.

11. In a computer network wherein components of an organization have associated secure token devices, a computer-readable medium holding computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising the steps of:

defining a budget for the organization that identifies quantities of funds to be distributed to components of the organization for a budgeting time period; and

facilitating electronic distribution of the funds to the components of the organization according to the budget by performing transfers of the funds between the secure token devices.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein the secure token devices are smart cards.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein the electronic distribution of the funds comprises transferring electronic currency tokens between the secure token devices.

14. In a computer network that provides computing resources for an organization having resource consumers, a method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request on behalf of a selected one of the resource consumers to use a given one of the computing resources;

requesting payment for use of the given computing resource by the selected resource consumers; and

receiving electronic payment for the use of the given computing resource from the selected resource consumers.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the electronic payment entails transferring electronic currency tokens.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the electronic payment originates from a smart card of the selected resource consumers.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein a smart card is associated with the given computing resource and wherein the electronic payment is received by the smart card associated with the given computing resource.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of permitting the selected resource consumer to use the given computing resource.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein requesting payment comprises requesting payment for use over a predetermined time period.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein requesting payment comprises requesting payment for a given session of use of the computing resource.

21. The method of claim 14 wherein requesting payment requires payment for multiple sessions of use of the computing resource.

22. In a computer network that provides computing resources for an organization having members a computer-readable medium holding computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request on behalf of a selected one of the members to use a given one of the computing resources;

requesting payment for use of the given computing resource by the selected member; and

receiving electronic payment for the use of the given computing resource from the selected member.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22 wherein the electronic payment entails transferring electronic currency tokens.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 22 wherein the electronic payment originates from a smart card of the selected member.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 22 wherein the electronic payment is received by the smart card associated with the given computing resource.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 22 wherein requesting payment comprises requesting payment for use over a predetermined time period.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 22 wherein requesting payment comprises requesting payment for a given session of use of the computing resource.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 22 wherein requesting payment requires payment for multiple sessions of use of the computing resource.

29. In a computing environment wherein secure token devices for a hierarchical organization having multiple levels paying from highest to lowest are associated with a central bank, levels of the organization and service providers that provide services, a method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

providing a budget that identifies how many funds are granted to the levels of the organization for a budgetary period;

transferring electronic funds from the secure token device associated with the central bank to the secure token devices associated with at least some of the levels of the organization to realize distribution of the budget;

distributing at least some of the funds from a selected secure token device associated with one of the levels of a given secure token device associated with the lowest level of the organization; and

transferring funds from the given secure token device to one of the secure token devices associated with a selected one of the service providers to pay for services provided by the selected service provider.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising the step of transferring funds from the secure token device associated with the selected service provider to the secure token device associated with the central bank.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the funds that are transferred to the secure token device associated with the central bank are transferred to at least one secure token device associated with a level of the organization as part of the transferring to the secure token device associated with the central bank.

32. The method of claim 29 wherein the organization is a business organization and the levels include business units.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the lowest level of the business organization represents individuals that are part of the organization.

34. The method of claim 29 wherein the secure token devices are smart cards.

35. In a computer network in an organization having computer resources, a computer-implemented method comprising the steps of:

obtaining identification information from a secure token device to determine whether a user is permitted to connect to the computer network;

based on the identification information permitting the user to connect to the computer network;

checking at least one role assigned to the user, wherein each role has rights for accessing the first of the computer resources;

receiving electronic currency tokens from the secure token device of the user as payment for access to a first of the computer resources based on the checking of at least one role assigned to the user; and

granting the user access to the first of the computer resources.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the method further comprises the step of receiving electronic currency tokens from the secure token device of the user as payment for access to a second of the computer resources.

37. The method of claim 35 wherein the secure token device is a smart card.

38. In a computer network in an organization having computer resources, a computer-readable medium holding computer-executable instructions for performing a method, comprising the steps of:

obtaining identification information from a secure token device to determine whether a user is permitted to connect to the computer network based on the identification information permitting the user to connect to the computer network;

checking at least one role assigned to the user, wherein each role has rights for accessing the first of the computer resources;

receiving electronic currency tokens from the secure token device of the user as payment for access to a first of the computer resources based on the checking of at least one role assigned to the user; and

granting the user access to the first of the computer resources.

39. In a distributed computer system in an organization having resources where a secure token device holds currency tokens that constitute a portion of a budget allocated to pay for use of the resources, a method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

providing an application program for dispersing currency tokens to the secure token device in the organization;

activating the application program; and

with the application program, dispersing additional currency tokens to the secure token device in the organization.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein the secure token device is a smart card.

41. The method of claim 39 wherein the secure token device is an ibutton.

42. A system, comprising:

a server computer system for providing a service to a user;

a user computer system for use by the user to gain access to the service provided by the server;

a first secure token device reader coupled to the user computer system for receiving a secure token device and communicating with the secure token device; and

an access component for granting the user access to the system when the user places a valid secure token device in the first secure token device reader.

43. The system of claim 42 further comprising a valid user secure token device to be placed into the first secure token device reader.

44. The system of claim 43 wherein the valid user secure token device holds identification information regarding the user and the identification information is used by the access component.

45. The system of claim 42 further comprising a second secure token device reader coupled to the server computer for receiving a secure token device for the service.

46. The system of claim 45 further comprising a charging component for charging the user for accessing the service provided by the server computer and for transferring electronic currency from the user secure token device to the secure token device for the service.

47. The system of claim 42 wherein the secure token device is a smart card.

48. A distributed computer system resource comprising:

at least one processor for running;

a budgeting component for establishing a budget for an organization that is hierarchically organized into levels and for distributing electronic currency to secure token devices provided for respective levels of the organization; and

a commerce component for facilitating exchange of electronic currency as payment for use of the resources.

49. The distributed computer system of claim 48 further comprising an accounting component run on the processor for tracking the exchange of electronic currency in the distributed computer system.

50. The distributed computer system of claim 48 wherein the secure token devices are smart cards.

51. A computer network, comprising:

means for providing a budget for an organization that identifies quantities of funds to be distributed to components of the organization for a budgeting time period;

secure token devices for the components of the organization;

means for electronically distributing the funds to the components of the organization according to the budget by performing transfers of funds between the secure token devices.

52. The computer network of claim 51 wherein the secure token devices are smart cards.

53. The computer network of claim 51 wherein the means for providing a budget comprises a distributed budgeting computer program.

54. In a computer network having computing resources, a system comprising:

means for obtaining identification information from a secure token device to determine whether a user is permitted to connect to the computer network;

means for permitting the user to connect to the computer network based on the identification information;

means for checking at least one role assigned to the user, wherein each role has rights for accessing the first of the computer resources;

means for receiving electronic currency tokens from the secure token device of the user as payment for access to a first of the computer resources based on the checking of at least one role assigned to the user; and

means for granting the user access to the first of the computer resources.

55. They system of claim 54 wherein the secure token device is a smart card.

56. The system of claim 54 further comprising means for receiving electronic currency tokens from the secure token device of the user as payment for access to a second of the computer resource.

57. A secure token device adapted to transmitting identification information for a user to a computer system, receiving a request for electronic currency tokens form the computer system as payment for access to computer resources, checking at least one role assigned to the user, wherein each role have rights for accessing computer resources;

transmitting the electronic currency tokens to the computer system as payment for access to the computer resources based on the checking of at least one role assigned to the user and receiving approval to access the computer resources.

58. The secure token device of claim 57 wherein the secure token device is a smart card.

59. A medium over which communication signals travel, said signals containing computer-executable instructions for performing a method in a computer network of an organization wherein components have associated secure token devices, comprising the steps of:

defining a budget for the organization that identifies quantities of funds to be distributed to components of the organization for a budgeting time period; and

facilitating electronic distribution of the funds to the components of the organization according to the budget by performing transfers of the funds between the secure token devices.

60. The medium of claim 59 wherein the secure token devices are smart cards.

61. A medium over which communication signals travel, said signals containing computer executable instructions for performing a method in a computer network that provides computer resources for an organization having resource consumers, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request on behalf of a selected one of the resource consumers to use a given one of the computing resources;

checking at least one role assigned to the user, wherein each role has rights for accessing the given one of the computing resources;

requesting payment for use of the given computing resource by the selected resource consumers based on the checking of at least one role assigned to the user; and

receiving electronic payment for the use of the given computing resource from the selected resource consumers based on the checking of at least one role assigned to the user.